Hike up in the mountains of Tenerife ladies and gentlemen. "Though
shalt not envy thy neighbour."-God

Cuba 🇨🇺 and playing Hard to Get

Hey what's up hello 🔥 🐣 hope everyone had a solid Holy Week! These
Spaniards sure throw down for La Semana Santa, full week of no work
and lots of festivities which made it a rough week to work, but we had
a STELLAR week out here! Making the most of what we got!

Nothing really happened until Wednesday, we had a full day lined up
and everything worked according to Schedule! We had Elder Trassierra
with us for the day and it was solid. We met with Carmen, a new
Colombian investigator and had a solid first lesson with her. The
spirit was strong as always and she really liked it! Has a lot of
intent on finding the true church of God and we answered a lot of her
questions she had. She said she'd come to church and she didn't, but
we have a lesson tonight so I'm excited!

We met with Jonathan again and instead of reading the restoration
pamphlet he decided to watch the Joseph Smith movie haha. He loved it!
He loves Joseph Smith! My heart was so full just listening to him talk
about what he thinks of Joseph Smith, it was amazing!

Thursday we met with Juan, this Cuban guy with 24 years that we found
last week. He came and it was a lesson I probably won't ever forget.
He is so ready. He said he's been looking for Gods church his whole
life and has never felt right about anything. He said he knows God
sent us to him to guide him there. He accepted the 20th of may for
baptism and we ,eat again Saturday and he was like "I haven't been
able to read very much, sorry.." and said "I've only read the first 7
chapters" then proceeds to tell us Nephi story until chapter 8 haha.
So we were definitely happy people! He's amazing, came to church and
stayed all three hours. It was ward conference so there was a lot of
handraising and sustaining and he probably thought it was weird, but
it was Easter Sunday so the spirit was very strong. Such a solid guy,
super excited for him! He could use some prayers.

Alexander, our semi professional baseball friend, also from Cuba, came
to sacrament meeting and liked it as well! Haven't been able to meet
with him for three weeks but he came to church so I think he's still
interested! He just got a new job and what not, such is the life.

Haha elder trassierra is 100% Spanish and we had a good time together.
My comp is a shy and timid character, which is the opposite of
trassierra. Haha but he's just hilarious and was having some fun with
my companion and since my comp doesn't talk with a lot of people in
the street, trassierra said it's because he's "playing hard to get"
lol, so he has a new nickname now 😂

I'll send photos later, love you all!


Do work,
Elder Gearig

This is Gabriela, our Brazilian friend.

Hope everyone had a terrific week and that life is treating you well!
Had a slow week out here but it was good nonetheless. Can't really
have a bad week as a representative of Jesus Christ, they don't exist.

Last Monday! Decided to go to a new area and pass by the houses of
some less active people. Nobody was home but we kept trying and got to
the last address we had. Rang the apartment and some guy poked his
head out and said no. Then five seconds later some lady pokes her head
out and says yes haha. So we walk up and they let us in and we start
talking to them and showed the new Easter video and talked about
Christ for a little bit and the guy who originally said no had a lot
of questions about Mormons, so we answered them and set a return
appointment for Wednesday.
Wednesday comes around and the lesson was stellar! One thing I love
about teaching is the ability to teach the same principles in many
different ways and we taught him in a way I never had used before and
it was perfect for him! He loved it and we have another lesson this
Wednesday so I'm pretty stoked for that. The guy who we were expecting
to meet is on vacation in Mexico and they're life long friends, so it
was a cool miracle to find him!

The only other lesson we had was with an old investigator and we
shared the new Easter video which is AMAZING and he loved it. His wife
was super sick so we didn't get a whole lot of time with him, but it
was a miracle to even get in his house haha. Has a naked chihuahua dog
named Papi who loves sitting on laps. Just a random note for you
hahah. But yeah! It was solid!

Well hopefully I have some better things to include next week! The
church is true and the book of Mormon is the word of God, read it!
Have a great week!



Families are forever,
Elder Gearig

Reese Returns & Conferences

Hello everyone! We've had a crazy week. Zone conference on Friday then
general conference on Saturday and Sunday. Grand total of 17 hours of
conferences and I loved EVERY second of it.

I'll just share a couple stories now.
Thursday we had another family home evening with our bishop and his
wife, and our investigator Abraham and his girlfriend who's less
active. We had an intense lesson on the plan of salvation and it was
AMAZING. He had so many questions because he's been taught that his
dad is in limbo and his uncles are in hell and he's always known
that's not true, so to hear the truth was comforting to him. The plan
of salvation is TRUE. There is nothing so amazing than learning about
and testifying of this perfect plan. It brings so much peace into my
life and I know without the shadow of a doubt that families are
forever. It's all possible thanks to Jesus Christ and all He's done
for us. He knows how we feel and He will. Comfort. Us. I promise.

Thursday I called our good friend Saul to set up a lesson for the next
night. He had done some investigating online and was livid. He'd read
something crazy about tithing and how president Monson is filthy rich and
whatnot. I was like "cmon Saul, let's talk like men." So he agreed to meet Friday night. Friday we had intercambios so Elder Wade would be
with me, which is exactly what I needed. THEN I remembered Elder Reese
would be there for zone conference so we pulled some strings and got
him in the lesson with us. Elder Wade, Elder Reese, and Elder Gearig.
The trio. We were all zone leaders at the same time so we know each
other pretty well, and I jokingly said that "Satan is trembling right
now." As we were preparing for the lesson. I wasn't wrong.

In walked Saul and we started teaching him. It was so terribly
awesome. He left after and PRESIDENT AND HERMANA PACK MEET HIM.
President Pack started talking to him and whatnot then asks him how he
liked our message. Saul awkwardly looked around... And president said
"believe it or not, but these young men are actual representatives of
Jesus Christ. If you listen to them you'll know the truth." And then
he leans towards Sauls face and his smile goes away, he stares into
his eyes and reads his soul.... Then says pointing to his heart "but
you have. To listen. With. This." THE CHILLS that ran down my body.
Saul walked out, and we'll never see him again (he's moving tomorrow)
but at least he got the best possible lineup of spiritualness.

Conference was Amazing! There aren't words. I've never been so
spiritually emotional and learned so much. Sustaining president Monson
was such a spiritual experience for me. There's no doubt he's God's man
on the earth with the keys right now. No doubt. His talks were short,
but powerful. Can't wait to read them again! I loved the quote "you
can't talk about a light in the world, without speaking about the
Light OF the World." Golden! Have a great week and know God loves you!
PS sorry for all the pictures with monkeys

Families are forever,
Elder Gearig

Brass monkey

Pictures of where we slung rocks last week with the senior couple. Gorgeous 😍

One week more out here in the canary islands! Had some more cool
experiences so I'll get down to it. Today we went to a monkey Park and
had a super good time and I fed some monkeys and it was just a blast,
but that's a different note.

Tuesday we were getting ready for English class and we got a phone
call from a guy who was waiting for us. So we got there and met
Alexander, this Cuban whom we never had seen before. He was wearing a
Cincinnati Reds hat so we got talking baseball, and he was a semi
professional player back in the day. He knows a bunch of pros and we
hit it off real quick. He asked some questions about the church and so
we taught him the restoration and he ATE IT UP like it was a change up
right down the middle. It was seriously such an awesome lesson. He was
so intrigued and offered the last prayer. We've been working so hard
to find people to teach and this one just fell out of the sky. Such a
big miracle and I'm so grateful for it and made sure God knew I was
haha.

Thursday our bishop and his wife invited us over for a family home
evening with an investigator of ours. We went and taught the
restoration and it was AWESOME as well! The bishop here is incredible,
an atheist converted to a beast, and the lesson was just amazing. His
girlfriend was there and she's a less active so it was a two for one
and just a solid lesson. THAT is missionary work right there ladies
and gentlemen. I felt almost useless being there because we showed up,
taught, and left haha. But the Spirit did it's job!

Saturday morning we met a new investigator in a park and right when
she got there this man who was running asked us to call him an
ambulance, then proceeds to pass out. He was a larger guy (hence the
exercise and asking an ambulance) and luckily I got my hand under his
head before it slapped the rocks. I had my hands on his head already
so I did what a priesthood holder does. A few seconds later he came to
and we got him to sit down. Minutes later he started dropping again so
I put my arm around him and he passed out on my shoulder haha.
Eventually the ambulance came and we had a good lesson with our new
investigator. It was a huge testimony to me of God putting us in the
right place at the right time! He was atheist so hopefully it had an
impact on him.

So conference is coming this week and we all need to prepare! The
woman's conference was amazing! All my questions were answered in 4
talks so I need to think of some new ones haha. I challenge you all to
ponder this week of questions you have, or what you need help with,
and have the faith that God will answer ALL of it through His living
prophets. It'll happen!


Monkey feeding,
Elder Gearig

Where's the coverage?

Hello everybody! We've has quite the week out here and I wish I had
more time to tell you about it so let's see what I horse together
here.

Anybody remember Bruno, the guy who had the pillar of light penitrated
his heart? Well we met with him again! And it was terrible. He said
his mother, doesn't want him to meet with us anymore. She thinks were
a cult and are racist and bad things happen and there's secretism and
nonsense. He said that and my heart cracked, but I didn't skip a beat
and we had a good talk actually. The spirit was quite strong and I
could tell he wanted to stay with us. I have no doubt he'll join the
church in a few years down the road. He's a great kid. I remember my
dad telling me before the mission that I'd cry more because of people
who KNOW it's all true, and walk away. I testify of that. It hurt real
bad. But my companion took it really hard and I had to act tough which
was really hard haha. So we left and started chasing people around the
streets trying to find a replacement. Got 7 numbers in an hour of kids
our age, it was incredible. If you lose one, God gives you 2.

Saul is doing good! Still being skeptical, but progressing and
learning! Had a super intense lesson with him about the BoM and
prayer. The new first vision video is super powerful and was a stellar
way to start the lesson. We'll see him Saturday (:

We had stake conference this weekend and it was great! Elder Johnson
of the area presidency came and visited us. I loved what our stake
president shared with us. He talked about cell phones. Many people
depend on their cell phones for information. But cell phones have a
battery that can die, and you have to have coverage. Not always
reliable eh? God is always there, best coverage of any company and its
free! Who wouldn't want that? Sadly, too many people. We need to take
advantage and turn to God for information!

Os quiero,
Elder Gearig

Went to some pyramids last week.